A 60-year old gateman has been charged before an Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping an eight-year old girl. The gateman, Joshua Essien, an employee of Landmark Group of Schools, Ikotun was said to have raped the girl (name withhrld, a student of the school, within the school’s premises.
Investigations revealed that the incident occurred after the school had closed on 5 December, 2007, when the accused allegedly called the little girl passing through the school at 10/11 Lawrence Adebisi Street, Ikotun. Joshua allededly called grabbed her and took her to his post where he forcefully removed her clothes and had carnal knowledge of her.
IT was gathered that the little girl could not withstand the pain and she started crying. This, it was learnt, attracted the attention of a passerby who alerted neighbours. It was learnt that the accussed would have been lynched by an angry mob, if not for the prompt intervention of policemen from Ikotun station who raced to the scene after a tip off. He was arrested and taken to the station and later charged to court
When the matter came up on friday, counsel to the accused, told the court that the family of the accused had started discussion with the family of the victim on how to settle the matter out of the court.
The magistrate turned down the request, insisting that rape was a crime against the society. The magistrate argued that setling the matter out of court would amount to denying the victim justice and encourage people commit such crime in future. The matter has been adjourned till 30 January, 2008, for trial.